Herman Wouk and Jewish Tradition

The bestselling author was a staunch defender of Jewish life. He recently passed away at the age of 103.

Herman Wouk, the Pulitzer Prize winning and bestselling author, has died at the age of 103, just ten days short of his 104th birthday. His long career spanned a tumultuous time in American Jewish history, as many first and second generation Jews assimilated and shed their Jewish identities.

Throughout it all, Wouk was a passionate spokesman for Jewish rituals and lifestyle, introducing many Jews and non-Jews to the beauty of a Jewish life and helping traditional Judaism go mainstream. His book This Is My God was a must-read for searching Jews finding their way back to Jewish observance.

Wouk was born in New York in 1915; his parents Esther and Abraham Wouk were religious Jewish immigrants from Belarus who raised their three children with a deep love of being Jewish. Following college at Columbia University, Wouk worked as a comedy sketch writer, then joined the navy after the attack on Pearl Harbor, serving with distinction. He later said that soldiers from all over the United States changed him, giving him a better understanding of his country and the people in it. Soon, he became a part of the fabric of American culture himself, bringing Jewish experiences into the mainstream American experience.

His novel Marjorie Morningstar was published in 1955 and became a runaway bestseller, selling three million copies in the US alone. It featured Marjorie, a Jewish American woman who tries to become an actress, shedding much of her Judaism and conventional family life along the way. At the end of the novel, after many disappointments, Marjorie realizes what will truly make her happy, settling for a much more sedate lifestyle, marrying a Jewish husband and raising children. The novel was one of the first to describe an attractive, typical character who was also Jewish, and broke new ground in describing Jewish traditions and rituals such as a Passover Seder in a popular book.

When Marjorie Morningstar was made into a movie starring Natalie Wood in 1958, it was the first American film since The Jazz Singer in 1927 to depict Jewish rituals on screen, making Jewish observance acceptable to a new generation of theatre-goers.

Wouk was prolific, writing over two dozen novels, including such wildly popular works as The Caine Mutiny in 1951 and The Winds of War in 1971. He wrote several books about World War II, the Holocaust, and the state of Israel. One of his favorite books, however, was non-fiction: This is My God, first published in 1959. At a time of widespread assimilation, Wouk wanted to explain traditional Judaism to a wider audience. His book described Jewish tradition, including keeping kosher, the Jewish holidays, and milestones such as brit milah and weddings. He wanted, he wrote, to give Jews “permission to believe” in a religion that was often seen as old fashioned and irrelevant. For years, This is My God was a popular bar mitzvah gift and was widely read by both Jews and non-Jews.

In describing a typical American Jews of the time, Wouk wrote “his grandparents were fairly religious, his parents much less so and he is wholly indifferent”. This assimilated American Jew is well educated, has a good job, and is good-hearted and pleasant - but is also intensely ashamed of being a Jew. Wouk’s book was his attempt to change that, to show the beauty and majesty of the Jewish faith, and to encourage readers to see themselves as part of a proud tradition and wider Jewish community.

In the 1988 editions of the book, Wouk noted “if I were to write it afresh now, the book would have a more intensely Jewish tone. In 1959 I was preoccupied with proving that an educated Westerner could live a traditional Jewish existence, not only without any intellectual sacrifices, but much to his enrichment. Today, I take that for granted.”

Within the period of high assimilation rates in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, however, Wouk stood out as a proud defender of Jewish tradition and identity. In 1955 he was featured on the cover of Time magazine, and he talked about his return to the traditional Jewish lifestyle with which he grew up. It was an unpopular position at the time but Wouk was adamant that he wouldn’t compromise his Jewishness, even if it seemed unfashionable. “He is a devout Orthodox Jew who had achieved worldly success in worldly-wise Manhattan,” the Time article explained, “while adhering to dietary prohibitions and traditional rituals which many of his fellow Jews find embarrassing.”

Indeed, Wouk lived a glamorous life, with homes in Manhattan, the US Virgin Islands, and Fire Island off the coast of New York. He dressed well and was well-spoken in interviews. The fact that he also maintained Jewish traditions was proof to some that American Jews could be educated and successful and also be religiously observant and proud of their Jewishness. He was married to the same woman, Betty Sarah Brown, for 66 years, until her death in 2011. They had three children, two of whom survive him, as well as three grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Wouk’s life, like that of American Jews as a whole, was one of evolution. Towards the end of his life Wouk seems to have become even more religiously observant, studying the Talmud every day and helping to establish Jewish study groups near his various homes. In later years, he also taught weekly Talmud classes.

Many of Wouk’s books remain popular. Yet his greatest legacy might be his intense pride in his Jewishness - and his encouragement to other Jews to be proud as well. In 1988, Wouk recalled a meeting he’d had years earlier with David Ben Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel.

“Ben Gurion said to me in his office,” Wouk recalled, “the wise, tough old builder of Israel, with the floating white hair of a dreamer and the hard jaw of an army general - ‘You Jews in the United States are different from any Jewish community that has ever existed. You are not strangers or no more strangers than anyone else in your land. America consists of immigrants. You belong like the rest, and you will prosper. But how will you survive as Jews?’

Yvette Alt Miller earned her B.A. at Harvard University. She completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Jewish Studies at Oxford University, and has a Ph.D. In International Relations from the London School of Economics. She lives with her family in Chicago, and has lectured internationally on Jewish topics. Her book Angels at the table: a Practical Guide to Celebrating Shabbat takes readers through the rituals of Shabbat and more, explaining the full beautiful spectrum of Jewish traditions with warmth and humor. It has been praised as "life-changing", a modern classic, and used in classes and discussion groups around the world.

Wouk understood what Ben Gurion did not. The Zionists of that time wanted to create a new kind of Jew, a nationalistic Jew devoid of Judaism. Wouk explained to him the one thing that the Zionists never understood. It was Yiddishkeit that allowed us to survive throughout the years of exile, not the atheistic Zionism of Ben Gurion and his cohorts.

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Anonymous,
May 23, 2019 5:39 PM

stories of Curious George and Herman Wouk were interesting to read -remember reading each of his books!

(14)
Suzanne Walder,
May 23, 2019 3:56 PM

What can one say of such a great man.....?

Herman Wouk was a giant of a man who inspired countless lives through his amazing literary works. Personally, I always admired the way in which he seemed to "get" the lives of regular American naval families which he portrayed so beautifully in "The Winds of War" and "War and Remembrance". RIP, Mr. Wouk and may your memory be for a blessing.

(13)
Davida Hathaway,
May 21, 2019 3:00 PM

Beautiful reminders of the best in our life

Reading this account of this focused, honorable ,Jewish light is a strong benefit to each person who lets his knowledge shine on him/her.

(12)
Raymond,
May 20, 2019 2:13 PM

G-d Bless Herman Wouk

I have relatively little to say about Herman Wouk, only because there doesn't seem to be anything controversial about him at all. He was simply a good, solid Jew who knew how to successfully navigate between living fully as an Orthodox Jew while immersing himself fully in the wonder that is America.

One thing I do think worth mentioning is a novel of his that is rarely talked about, namely Inside, Outside, as it is quite good and definitely worth reading. It depicts very well the tension that can often exist between being both a religious Jew and living the good life as an American. I myself did not read much of probably his most famous book, namely This Is My G-d, not because it wasn't good, but because it is a very basic book on Judaism, really geared toward those with no background in Judaism at all, whereas I was fortunate enough to have grown up going to Orthodox Jewish schools. I also have read the book The Hope, and while it was very engaging reading, I now regret having done so, because as a reading purist, I like to read things in their proper order, and so really I should have first read the Winds of War, then War and Remembrance, then The Hope, and finally The Glory. But all is not lost, for it has been so many years since I read the Hope, and so I can probably now safely read all four of those books in their proper order.

Herman Wouk was a solidly good Jew and great American, with a strong marriage and solid family life, really the embodiment of how all of us Jews should live. RIP Herman Wouk.

(11)
Edwin Zaslow,
May 20, 2019 1:17 PM

A Great Book

I first read "This is My G-d" when I was a post-Bar Mitzvah student sometime in the mid 1960s. Our teacher, Rabbi Haben, made a class around this book. I kept my copy, and re-read it 20 years later when I was becoming Orthodox. It's a great overview of Jewish practices and theology. I understand it is still in print. Amazon lists it as a #1 Best Seller in Orthodox Judaism.

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S. D. Krimins,
May 20, 2019 10:52 AM

Beautifully written about a beautiful life. Thank you.

Thank you.

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Betty Peters,
May 20, 2019 7:20 AM

Thank you for honoring this great author. Until just now I had not known of his death.

I first encountered Wouk as the author of Marjorie Morningstar; I read the book in elementary school after I saw the movie. Later I ran across The Caine Mutiny movie and then read the novel. My favorites, though, were Winds of War and War and Remembrance. Until I read your tribute, I was not aware of Mr. Wouk's strong faith and now I look forward to reading the book about his faith. I am a Christian who grew up in the deep south with Jewish neighbors and quite a few Jewish classmates. Our Girl Scout troop met at the local synagogue. Members of my church and those of Temple Emmanuel joined each other on Brotherhood Days for the Friday night sabbath service and our Sunday morning service. Most of my Jewish friends and their siblings did not return to our city after college and their parents have passed on and not surprisingly, the congregation's membership has greatly decreased during my lifetime.. Perhaps reading notices of Herman Wouk's death and the significance of his life and writings will entice a new, younger audience for his writings.

(8)
angelo sturino,
May 19, 2019 9:14 PM

A remarkable works of life .

I really loved watching the Winds of War series on TV. As a student of history I saw the real works of history outlined in this series and the meaning of life....... thanks .............

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Anonymous,
May 19, 2019 8:24 PM

Great author,great man

I had the opportunity to meet him at the king david hotel in yerushalayim.there was a small band there and when he entered the dining room they played the theme to caine mutiny.he was highly respected for his naval service,his writings,and his jewishness.very impressive man

(6)
shel winnick,
May 19, 2019 7:43 PM

He was a true friend of my father L’shalom

I introduced Mr Wouk to my father and have numerous humorous tales of those encounters.

(5)
Morton Isaacs,
May 19, 2019 4:12 PM

"This is My God" influenced my life immensely

I was drafted into the US Army in 1957 as a almost totally assimilated Jew. A series of incidents made me aware of my Judaism and I casually picked up Wouk's book "This Is My God". I read it and became proud of my religion and its practices; shortly afterwards I met an observant young lady -- a Rabbi's daughter -- and married her, and we lived an observant life together until her passing away five years ago. That book was the beacon that drove me to understand the beauty and importance of an observant Jewish life.

(4)
Ruth Palatnik,
May 19, 2019 3:53 PM

My gateway to observance

I was researching a bit about Judaism when in high school, and came across the book THIS IS MY G-D. It was an introduction to Orthodoxy for me- and started me on my journey to Orthodox observance.

(3)
Rabbi Reuben Israel Abraham,
May 19, 2019 2:47 PM

Inspiration

I can literally say that had it not been for Herman Wouk, z"l, I would not be who I am, what I am, and where I am today. At age 12, having been born in 1951 and baptized a Christian, I was searching for religious meaning in my life as I found Christianity to be a religion of hate toward and denigration of all non-Christians. I read "This Is My God," and immediately began my quest to become and live the rest of my life as a Jew. I made conversion in accordance with halachah in March 1974. I legally changed my name to an Anglicized version of my Hebrew name. I became a Rabbi, a Navy Jewish Chaplain, and (most recently) a Philadelphia Police Chaplain. I served as the singular Rabbi Chaplain in a Greater Philadelphia Catholic Health System in acute care, elder care, and hospice care for over 25 years. I have had the honor and pleasure of serving in three Synagogues, all in Northeast Philadelphia. All this, and more, would NEVER have come about had I NOT read "This Is My God." I literally owe Herman Wouk, z"l, my life. May his family be comforted by Hashem along with all those who mourn in Zion and Jerusalem. I am certain that his memory will always be a blessing!

Surak,
May 19, 2019 4:09 PM

Barukh HaShem

B"H I grew up in Northeast Philadelphia. My grandparents gave me "This Is My God" on my tenth birthday, three years before my bar mitzvah, which itself was three months before your conversion. Barukh HaShem L'olam, Amen v'Amen!

(2)
Anonymous,
May 19, 2019 2:41 PM

Great article!

Never knew Herman Wouk was Jewish! Great to know and especially that his writing was tied to Judaism's culture and tradition, thank you for sharing, will start reading his books!

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Robert Weinraub,
May 19, 2019 2:23 PM

Great Jew!

Read most of his books, loved them, but didn’tKnow much about his life. Now I admire himEven more. May he Rest In Peace.